If you opened our pantry right now, you’d mostly see cans. Rows of black beans, chickpeas, white beans, and lentils squeezed into every corner of our kitchen in Italy.
Those cans of beans have saved us on rushed weeknights, sick days, heatwaves, and all the “we forgot to plan dinner” days.
Somewhere between testing hundreds of recipes, Louise and I learned something funny: the simplest bean dinners are always the ones we actually cook the most.
And honestly? They’re the ones you cook the most, too.
These 25 high-protein meals turn canned beans into fast, comforting, Mediterranean-inspired dinners ready in 30 minutes or less. No complicated steps, no long ingredient lists — just good food you can make any night of the week.
If you’ve ever stared at a can of beans and thought, “Okay… now what?”, this list is for you.
Our roundup of bean dinners (with canned beans) show our most cooked, best tested, and most loved recipes: healthy, budget-friendly, veggie-forward, and deeply satisfying.
If you have beans, you have dinner.
25 High-Protein Bean Dinners We Make All the Time
1. Mediterranean Lentils and Rice
Our viral hit. Canned lentils with pre-cooked rice and caramelized onions = a fast, protein-rich dinner that somehow tastes slow-cooked.
2. Black Bean Soup in 25 Minutes
Creamy without cream, and rich without effort. Fresh lime and smoked paprika turn a humble can of black beans into a cozy vegetarian bowl.
Orzo simmers with white beans, spinach, tomatoes, and garlic. This one is inspired by my nonna Lidia’s pasta fagioli. Comforting but light and ready in 30 minutes.
4. Mediterranean chickpea soup
Sunny, broth, fiber-rich — the kind of healthy Mediterranean bean soup Louise and I make on cold nights. Comfort without the heaviness.
Roasted sweet potatoes, crunchy veggies, and chickpeas in a high-protein salad that eats like a meal, not a side.
6. Sweet potato chickpea patties
Our readers’ favorite. Crispy edges, soft middles, and protein-packed vegetarian patties you can meal-prep for the whole week.
7. Chickpea Turmeric Rice (Mediterranean Style)
A golden, cozy chickpea rice dinner with turmeric, parsley, lemon and pre-cooked basmati rice. Feels like comfort, cooks like a 20-minute miracle.
8. Baked Feta and Butter Beans Skillet
Everything goes in the pan and the feta melts into a tomato-garlic blanket. A creamy baked bean dinner without cream.
Zingy, bright, and SO easy. A high-fiber salad that works for tacos, lunches, or “I’m starving” emergencies.
The mix of Brussels sprouts, spinach, feta, white beans, and aromatics makes every bite so satisfying. My favorite way of serving it is with a poached egg on top for added protein.
11. Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Protein meets protein. This grain salad is full of veggies and marinated chickpeas. It’s a healthy quinoa bowl that stays crisp for days.
12. Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia)
Chickpeas, lemon, olive oil, tahini. Creamy, tangy, and deeply traditional — a classic Greek soup made weeknight-simple.
When dinner needs to happen now: toss beans with tomatoes, herbs, and lemon. A 15-minute white bean salad that actually fills you up.
Louise and I love beans and rice dinners for busy weeknights. This one comes with marinated feta and a simple spice mix that everyone will love.
Crunchy, tangy, nostalgic — but fresh and with Mediterranean ingredients. A healthy bean salad you can batch-prep for the whole week.
Creamy, garlicky, irresistible. A skillet of Mediterranean butter beans that lives up to its name (and the hype).
17. Greek yogurt pasta salad with cannellini
Creamy Greek yogurt and white beans create a high-protein pasta salad without mayo.
Mash, mix, pan-fry. A 20-minute black bean patty you can use in bowls, wraps, or burgers.
Crispy outsides, tender centers, 100% pantry ingredients. A high-protein lentil snack or dinner.
20. Coconut curry with chickpeas
Cozy, creamy, naturally sweet-savory. A one-pot chickpea curry your spoon will fight your bowl over.
A smoky, hearty vegetarian chili that turns pantry staples into a warm, comforting meal.
One of your all-time favorites: crisp, lemony, refreshing, and protein-packed. A healthy chickpea salad that goes with anything.
Earthy lentils meet bright herbs, feta and lemon. A Mediterranean lentil recipe that’s perfect for make-ahead lunches.
Golden, cozy, and full of greens. A healthy chickpea stew that tastes indulgent but fits any weekday.
Silky butter beans simmered in a savory tomato-marsala sauce. A Mediterranean comfort dish with 10 minutes of prep – and excellent when served with toasted rustic bread.
More Mediterranean Dinner Roundups
- 30 Best Chickpea Dinners
- 20 Cozy Vegetarian Soup Recipes
- 50 Best High Fiber Salads
- 40 High protein vegetarian dinner ideas
These collections are our most cooked and most loved — perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep.
If you tried these high protein bean recipes or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Hello Nico and Louise
Love your recipes! I enjoyed your black bean burger very much. Question I want to freeze some should I freeze them cooked or raw?
Thanks cant wait for more delicious holiday ideas
Happy Thanksgiving!
Best wishes,
Donna
Hi Donna,
YAY, so happy you enjoyed the black bean burger, wonderful feedback.
For freezing, you can actually do it both ways, but here’s what we recommend:
• Freeze them cooked:
This is the easiest. Let the patties cool completely, then freeze them in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag or container. They reheat beautifully in the air fryer (400°F / 200°C for about 8 minutes) or in a lightly oiled skillet.
• Freeze them raw:
Also doable, but they’re a little softer to handle. If you freeze them raw, shape the patties, freeze them flat on a tray, then bag them once solid. Cook straight from frozen—just add a couple extra minutes.
Both options work, but cooked patties hold their shape best after freezing 🙂
Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving, and more delicious holiday recipes are coming your way. Thanks for being here.
Kindest, Louise